Giuliani prepares to exit, back McCain

Like he ever had a chance. Just another loser, quitter, dropout, without the guts to run a real race. He's off to join Fred Thompson in Loserville.

Giuliani prepares to exit, back McCain

By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Florida only to come in third, prepared to quit the race Tuesday and endorse his friendliest rival, John McCain.

The former New York mayor stopped short of announcing he was stepping down, but delivered a valedictory speech that was more farewell than fight-on.

Giuliani finished a distant third to winner McCain and second-place finisher Mitt Romney. Republican officials said Giuliani would endorse McCain on Wednesday in California. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public announcement.

"The responsibility of leadership doesn't end with a single campaign, it goes on and you continue to fight for it," Giuliani said, as supporters with tight smiles crowded behind him. "We ran a campaign that was uplifting."

Asked directly if he was dropping out of the race, Giuliani said only: "I'm going to California."

John McCain Wins: Rudy Giuliani Becomes the Biggest Loser

McCain grabs upper hand
John McCain seizes momentum before Super Tuesday.

» Florida win

Rudy Giuliani shows he is a quitter who was too afraid to start the race. John McCain, however, was losing months ago, but never said he was dead (I did, and was wrong

By DAVID ESPO and LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writers

MIAMI - Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida primary Tuesday night, gaining the upper hand in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination ahead of next week's contests across 21 states and lining up a quick endorsement from soon-to-be dropout Rudy Giuliani.

"It shows one thing. I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," McCain said after easing past former Massachusetts Gov, Mitt Romney in a hard-fought contest.

"It's a very significant boost, but I think we've got a tough week ahead and a lot of states to come," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the Democratic winner in a primary held in defiance of national rules that drew no campaigning and awarded no delegates.

Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf is Gonzo for John McCain

Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf, otherwise publicly apolitical, speaks up in support of Johnny McCain. For Norm, it is all about war. Too bad. He is smarter than this. For some voters, what Schwarzkopf says about McCain is enough.

It is true. McCain's credentials are great. He's a hero, but can he must post up more than memories and "go get 'em"?

The economy may define the election, not the war. This makes it hard for Republicans. Who do they push in the primaries? What about November? a good war. A bad war. Good economy. Bad economy. They have three viable candidates in John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, all with different takes. Ron Paul might be running for vice president at this point, as is occasional candidate Rudy Giuliani.

Democrats however, have basically two candidates, and, depending how detailed you look, at a high level, they seem the same. No matter how much nose we heard in the debate, the issue isn't the issues, but who can capably lead. Both are prochoice, progay, antiwar, see economy as troubled.

The rest is race, gender, experience and how much corruption is perceived and/or tolerated.

Norman Schwarzkopf Endorses McCain
FOXNews
by FOXNews.com Schwarzkopf, who with McCain in 2004 was openly critical of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over his handling of the Iraq war, said in a statement the Arizona senator “has served our country with honor in war and in peace.

Republican of the Week Award: Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney wins the Republican of the Week Award. Now that everyone has had a turn to win a primary (except Rudy, but he doesn't count anymore, and will eventually see that he is John McCain light, and hand over his supporters to him), let's see who will be facing Hillary Clinton in the big November election.

Romney's Michigan win shakes up GOP race

CNN -- Mitt Romney claimed a much-needed victory in Tuesday's Michigan Republican primary, making the race for the GOP presidential nomination anybody's game.

Iowa: Still Hillary/Obama, Republicans Undecided (But Voted Conservative)

Whadja think of last night in Iowa?

As you know, Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton by 8-9 percentage points. She came in third, behind John Edwards.

Mike Huckabee had a similar win over Mitt Romney. That said, in conservative, largely faith-based Iowa, Huckabee had easy pickings there . This showed two things, though: Repubs are still undecided, and, Add Romney and Huckabee and you've got a lot of morally conservative voters willing to vote Republican.

The Democrats never reached out to evangelical and fundamentalist Christians, despite having some values many hold important.

I think Huckabee will take a hit in NH. Everyone does. Expect him to tweak his message to diminish his faith-focus, and talk about caring for others. Consistent with what he believes, but will help limit the religious phobia that swirls around those afraid of his personal life.

I think Edwards' support is temporary. He is too liberal compared to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and the majority of Democratic voter want someone to build bridges with conservatives. The jury is out whether Hillary/Obama can do this, but few think Edwards can, or intends to.

Still a Hillary/Obama fight. The Clinton campaign is not unorganized, and not hanging their heads low. They know Hillary’s husband lost in Iowa, and then went on to win two White House elections. Expect the Hillary machine to do what it does better than the rest: swing hard, look smart, and handle the PR masterfully.

Rudy never showed up, realizing he had no chance in Iowa. He saved his money, emotions and reality. That reality is that he will not president. He's running for speaking jobs in 2009.

Which Republican is wining their side? I’m unsure. Huckabee’s victory may not withstand then upcoming East Coast liberal onslaught. However, he could thrive. Just like during Super Bowl Sunday, alternatives are still needed. He might be seen as the one credible conservative option, and, as we see, other than Romney, candidates among Republicans are more mid-road moralists or have no reasonable chance (no one, from what I hear, ever took Alan Keyes seriously).

Iowa and Indecision

Does Iowa have power? No. Only the lowliest candidates will drop out.

One conservative Illinois-cum-Iowan is trying to sort this out, but, as you can see, is no more satisfied than the Democrats are with their choices.

He says:

Currently I'm leaning on voting against Mitt Romney and for Mike Huckabee...

What's key is indecision. Note "Currently." He goes on and gives his reasons, which are a mix of faith-based and classic conservatism.

But look at the Democrats. According to the Associated Press, even this famously Democratic family can't agree (though predictibly, Jesse went with the race vote, while his wife went for the gender vote), Jesse Jackson's wife Supports Clinton

As it says:

Jesse Jackson said in March that Obama, an Illinois senator, has his vote. But Jacqueline Jackson, in an ad that started airing this week, calls Clinton "by far the most qualified candidate to be president in these tough times."

What we have are inferior candidates. In 2004, we had two types of candidates: The George Bush type, and the John Kerry type. People were emphatic one way or another. Now, we have milque toast, watered down men and women who are not decided for, but against. Sure, we had the "anybody but Bush" undecideds, but, now, we have "anybody but anybody." We are not for anyone at all.

To me, this is a post modern problem. Conservatives and liberals alike rely too much on media to tell them who not to vote for, leaving the voter without a basis.

What about the very convicted Christian voter? Now, not there either. Pat "Mr. Religious Conservative" Robertson went for Rudy Giuliani, who is essentially, at best, a cultural Catholic.

Doesn't anyone believe in anyone anymore? Don't any candidates live what they believe anymore?

Mike Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President

This falls into the 'you gotta be kidding' category. Mike's got pluck, but, in this case, the brains of a duck.

Maybe he has Rudy Giuliani - Hillary Clinton lust. No, not in the way John Edwards would smirk at, but in the way that he's the only leading New Yorker (OK, Hillary's an import, we know, but no one cares) without a White House run. Stephen Forbes had a shot, but not Mikey.

Mikey wants some too.

Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President

Standing by His Woman: Former president in town to promote wife for the job

Some people want to criticize Bill Clinton for campaigning for his wife, but I say good show. She stood by her man when he was looking down in the mouth, and now he is stepping up to do the same.

Barack Obama is coming on strong. With Oprah Winfrey now behind him, and the public growing vaguely cynical of the Hillary Clinton machine, she needs to be concerned. Furthermore, the Republicans aren't sitting on their hands. Mike Huckabee has snuck up from nowhere to present evangelicals an option other than social liberal Rudy Giuliani, and conservative but Mormon Mitt Romney. In any event, one of those three is likely to threaten the Hillary Clinton juggernaut.

The story is the same: get the nomination, get the national victory. And the story remains as difficult, hence, Hillary needs the fire power only glamor boy Bill can pull off.

Just add a saxophone.

Former president in town to promote wife for the job
Charles City Press
By Kirk Klocke, News Editor Both Sen. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton were in Iowa this weekend, and the former president’s route included Charles City.

Huckabee vs Obama?

Huckabee vs Obama?

There's a fight few expected, but just might be. As Obama's interest increases, and as Hillary keeps being presented as left wing, while Huckabee, previously a long-shot, starts coming into being his own candidate, while Rudy is being seen as a morally liberal, fiscally moderate conservative -- well, you can seem it is all becoming undone.

Who is this Mike Huckabee, anyway? He is a religious guy, same as fellow Arkansas ex-governor, Bill Clinton. The same denomination, only Huckabee is less ashamed to admit it. Like Clinton, he is a musician, playing bass guitar in his rock-and-roll band Capitol Offense.

Also from Hope, AR, he lifted himself up from little to much, again, like Clinton. But now, his views and lifestyle are much different than Clinton, both Bill and Hillary. He's different than all but Romney, and maybe Fred Thompson as well.

My bet is Pat Robertson is regretting the day he endorsed Rudy Giuliani, as it increasingly appears Huckabee might be the Republican's only hope for the White House.

As for Obama - the jury is still out, but it is no longer the Hillary Clinton Roadshow. She'll come back with guns blazing, so don't you Obama fans get smug. He can pull it out, but she'll not go down without a little dirt, and maybe a little blood on her hands.

Huckabee surges, hires Reagan's ex-campaign manager
AFP - 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Mike Huckabee was ahead in a poll out Friday among Republican presidential hopefuls in the key early primary state of South Carolina, ...
Huckabee, 'the next Reagan'? MSNBC
Rollins to lead Huckabee's effort MSNBC
Huckabee hires former Reagan adviser Boston Globe
Boston Herald - New York Times
all 185 news articles »

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Obama Showing New Confidence With Iowa Sprint
New York Times
By JEFF ZELENY INDEPENDENCE, Iowa - After months of sometimes struggling with the demands of being a presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama is showing a new command in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses, threatening Senator Hillary Rodham ...

Mudslinging: Why Democrats Are Bored With Hillary and Obama

As the pot calls the kettle black, and as the kettle is, in fact, guilty as charged, we see the desperate political shenanigans being played. Why? We're bored. Hillary Clinton knows it. Barack Obama knows it.

How can we tell? More Democrats are talking about Pat Robertson's support of Rudy Giuliani than they are of the positive attributes of their own candidate. Democrats are scared here. If a leading right winger, one that some of the religious world considers seriously can support a prochoice, progay guy who dumped a wife or two, then who will vote for them?

They are shaking - and deservedly so. All we were hearing from the Democrats is "We hate the war," and "We hate Bush." Boring. Give us more. Since most evangelical Christians will not support the very liberal Clinton or Obama, no one expected their vote. However, this Robertson thing has shaken everything up. He pragmatically sounds more like Jesse Jackson than Jackson does.

As far as pot is concerned, who Woody Harrelson support? Who is in his kettle of candidates?

Obama accuses Clinton campaign of mud-slinging with Novak column
San Francisco Chronicle
The Democratic presidential race burst into its angriest brawl yet Saturday when Barack Obama charged Hillary Rodham Clinton with mud-slinging "swift boat" politics and intimidation - an accusation the New York senator sharply denied and said ...

Are Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton The Same Person?

Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton? Are they the same candidate in different parties? Some people are beginning to say so.

Everyone knows that Hillary Clinton is the most pro choice candidate in either party. Unlike her husband, Bill Clinton, she has not gone out of her way to dance, to say abortion is wrong but she supports the legal right to do it. For that, I give her points for integrity and honesty. For those in the abortion is murder camp, it must be illegal. They have no other choice, just in the same those who think capital punishment is morally wrong. And, for those who think it is acceptable legally, they cannot also say it is morally wrong to kill a baby. Logically, a person has really to choose one position of the other. Bill Clinton, as has Rudy Giuliani, taken both positions at once. Pretty much a cop-out.

Not Hillary Clinton. You won't hear pretend she thinks abortion is morally wrong. She's a pragmatist, but knows the double-view position is weak.

So then comes along a strong candidate like Giuliani. He's a darling among Republicans, and dangerous to Hillary Clinton. Why? Because his essential view on abortion equates with hers: keep abortion legal. She might have a more consistent view, but he will steal votes from abortion-minded Republicans.

Naturally, this is hardly the only issue driving the campaign, but in other areas, like perceived international leadership and dealing with Muslim terrorists, Giuliani trumps Clinton. I'm not the only who is noticing this. Leaders among a core group of evangelical voters agree, like those at the Family Research Council.

Meanwhile, Clinton is leading Barack Obama by truckloads of support. I'm beginning to think the election for him is over, and that he is running for 2012. If Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, but loses the general presidential election, Obama can position himself as a leader among men. By 2012, any comments about experience have no impact, and people will be used to his unusual name. He'll be a brand name to be reckoned with.

Conservative Christian leader equates Giuliani with Clinton
He says ex-mayor too much like New York senator, will doom GOP if nominated

10:43 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 10, 2007
By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News
wslater@dallasnews.com

AUSTIN – A leading conservative Christian leader said Wednesday that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Rodham Clinton are virtually "indistinguishable" to many social conservatives, and that those voters will abandon the GOP if Mr. Giuliani is the presidential nominee.

"There is very little difference between the Republican and Democratic parties when you look at advancing candidates like this," said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

In a conference call with reporters to promote this month's Values Voter Summit in Washington, Mr. Perkins acknowledged that religious conservatives at the heart of the Republican base are divided over the party's presidential field.

But he warned that nominating the former New York mayor, who supports abortion rights and gay rights, would probably drive away enough anti-abortion voters to put Mrs. Clinton in the White House.

"Will evangelicals vote for him? Yes, there will be some," said Mr. Perkins. "But some social conservative support is not enough to win."

Giuliani outlines tax plan, blasts Democrats: Hillary Rants Back

Rudy Giuliani is working hard to do things: become president and look like a Republican. To look like a Republican, he needs to work back to what classic Republican stands are and use the vocabulary to impress those who like to call themselves Republican.

He is already working against conservative voters with his pro-choice views, as well as his relatively complicit positions regarding gays. He stands by those views with conviction. He hasn't helped himself by his marital affairs and divorce. So he is doing what he needs to in order to win the conservative hearts: attack Hillary, and say, "I'm not a Democrat looking to weasel into your lives."

By ranting the tax-and-spend line, he is saying he is really Republican.

Hillary Clinton ranted back by saying Giuliani is just like her in many regards, but not enough to be presidential.

This is all vagaries now, jockeying for media image rather than real issues. Hillary needs to be seen as still the top contender, while Rudy must lift himself back to the top. Both candidates are facing questions of electability, followed by hard-charging competition in Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

Giuliani outlines tax plan, blasts Democrats
Boston Globe
By Philip Elliott, AP Writer
August 25, 2007

MANCHESTER, N.H. --Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Saturday said Democrats would raise taxes and brutalize the economy if they win the 2008 presidential election.

"'We must take things away from you for the common good,'" Giuliani said, mocking Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a top contender for her party's nomination.


"Do you understand what that implies? No, it's not Karl Marx. What she's saying in that is that 'We know better, the government knows better.'"


In contrast, Giuliani said he would lower taxes, make permanent President Bush's tax cuts and eliminate inheritance taxes.

Who Do We Like Least? Democrats Vie for Public Distaste

Who Loves You, Baby?

No one.

It used to be a well-appreciated fact: America hates Bush. Besides, with the Republicans controlling Congress, there was plenty for a Democrat to hate.

That's now trouble. As it seems, given the opportunity, Democrats are very disliked too. They are running Congress now. After much celebration with the more liberal side of the Democratic Party stepping in under Nancy Pelosi, it looked as if Democrats were as popular as the late Ronald Reagan. Not so.

The survey shows Bush's approval ratings at 35 percent, and Congress' even lower, 25 percent. Only 27 percent of those polled said the country is headed in the right direction, and 39 percent said they support the Iraq war, with 58 percent opposed.

That's what it says in an AP piece posted on Yahoo.

No wonder George Bush seemed almost happy when she took office. Congress would make him look good. Who woulda thunk?

What are we supposed to do with that? We love to blame, but we don't know who to blame.

Where this leaves the presidential candidates is the need to push hope. Bill Clinton and Reagan were masters of this. Bush, both, were masters at promoting security, but feeble when it came to hope.

When election times comes, if we dislike everybody in theory (do we really hate Congress that much, or are we just tired of their reputation of giving themselves raises in troubled times, as ethics scandals creep out?) -- will anyone show up to vote? If we are left with a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" attitude, ambivalence will follow, finished off by ignoring the whole election.

We need hope. Real hope, not marketed garbage that is the product of a PR campaign. We need to believe in substance. George W Bush, for all his foibles, is a man of conviction. We need that character in office, with convictions we agree with, we can trust. Kerry lost because we never trusted he had any convictions. John Edwards, to a less degree, seems as wishy-washy (though he is committed to good hair, and is willing to invest in it).

As hope-mongers go, Barack Obama is in better shape, for now, than Hillary Clinton. She's working on this. Obama is simply more stable in his presentation. He feels believable, like a father figure. Reagan was a tough cowboy grandfather, but Obama is softer. He's not exactly Mike Brady of the Brady Bunch, but he carries himself with an academic certainty.

Among the Republicans? Hope is an easier sell for them to their followers. Republican voters tend to look at life and politics more optimistically. However, the Democrats are doing their best to chip away at it.

With Mitt Romney, the Democrats, and even Planned Parenthood is trying to say he's not prochoice and has changed his vote. Prolife Republicans are responding, "Atta boy!" much to the Democrat's chagrin. Rudy Giuliani has divorced to often to feel like a hopeful guy. He's humorous, but not hopeful. Fred Thompson, the jury is still out, but he could play that tenor. John McCain is dead in the water, and was nothing but an interview expert on TV talk shows.

When we all line up to vote, who is still arouning kissing babies is yet to be seen. This much we know, we probably don't like them.

Hillary versus Rudy: Battle of the Complexes

The question came up, "If Hillary Clinton ran against Rudy Giuliani, who would win?"

No, this isn't celebrity boxing. Rudy's ex-wives could beat up Hillary. He has, what, three of them?

And this isn't battle of the sexes. Rudy's a man too.

John Kerry. Remember him? Not many do. He was the guy back in 2004 who ran against George W Bush. Bush was saluted with a record number of popular votes, trouncing the hapless Kerry. Some of those who voted for Kerry really were not Kerry supporters, but hated Bush with more passion than a KKK member. So, Kerry had his political butt handed to him on a platter.

Rudy Giuliani does not want to be John Kerry.

What? Rudy is a Republican. Kerry is a Democrat.

Right. Where they are similar is that Hillary Clinton's supporters are pro-Hillary. Rudy's will include a large batch of anti-Hillary supporters. Kerry's campaign was set on shifting sand, "Anyone but Bush." If Rudy rides the waves of "Anyone but Hillary," then he'll land on the sand just to be swept away.

Rudy's other problem is Barack Obama. As noted in an early post (Barack Obama is not a Pacifist (so what?)), Obama's not against military intervention against terrorism. One of Rudy's selling points, like the floundering John McCain's, is his commitment to putting down al Qaeda. Now, Obama's on cue, making sure his supporters know he's not exactly pro-war, but that he'll do what it takes. This will not steal away all of Rudy's supporters, but it will grab a few liberals that want an anti-terrorist candidate. Rudy isn't exactly a moral conservative, being called a champion of gay rights and supporter of abortion.

See: Political positions of Rudy Giuliani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Michael Long, chairman of the New York state Conservative Party of New York stated, "The gay marriage issue draws a line down the middle of the street, and Rudy Giuliani is something of a champion of gay rights."

Pro-Iraq, anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage conservatives might jump the morally ambiguous Republican Party and vote third party. I can see Ron Paul (see Ron Paul for President) landing as such a candidate. The third party candidate might pull a Ross Perot, stealing enough votes from the Republican presidential candidate to put Rudy under the Brooklyn Bridge.

If Hillary's snags Barack Obama as her running mate, and the race is against Rudy Giuliani (running mate unknown), at this moment (I have waffled immensely), it could be a landslide. Rudy does not have the moral differentiation, nor the completeness of difference regarding war, that he once appeared to have.

Rudy and Romney: Raking in Riches

Giuliani Camp Pulls in $15M; Romney $14M

Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are $29,000,000 richer. For Rudy, that's expected. For Romney, less so. It will help him argue to new supporters he is electable. Expect the next Romney report to be about bigger dinero.

For Hillary and Barack, otherwise known as Clinton and Obama, this means little. They have their own money to chase.

How 'Some' Muslims Want You to Sell Your Soul

Pakistani traders put £80000 bounty on Rushdie's head

You read that right. Some Muslim Pakistani whack jobs feel the only way to get other Muslims to listen is to buy their faith. Faith, in being best shown by action, really can never be purchased. Actions, pretending to be faith-motivated, can be purchased, just as anyone can be hired to do a job.

Naturally, selling your soul is a bad move in any faith, but, desperate to atone for some nana-poo-poo comments they feel Sir Salman Rushdie made in a book they never personally read (and much of the illiterate Arab Muslim world could not read) , they decided to whore out the so-called dignity of the guy they believe is a prophet.

Yes, it comes down to that. Harsh? Well, yes.

Why not offer no money, and some do-gooder, angry lackey will go all Tony Soprano on Sir Rushdie? Wasn't happening. It is easier to get someone to kill himself by running a plane full of people into a building New York City than it is to kill a writer known only to the literati before this. A fatwa offered by then kingpin Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini wasn't enough. Apparently.

I don't know what Sir Rushdie should do. Hide, like Osama bin Laden, in the caves of the Middle East? Go on Oprah, and see if he can get his book into her famous "Oprah's Book Club"? Surely, he has no desire to take a bullet in the head from an Islamic zealot, but, in turn, hiding only proves terrorism has influence.

He survived this long, since February 14,1989, when the murder order was made.

If it turns out that some punk takes out Sir Rushdie, expect a backlash, supporting freedom's newest martyr. Bad PR, I say.

Since I heard there's boycott against British goods, I need to find out how I can purchase as many British things as possible. Cadbury chocolate? Dr. Who? If I see the musical Spamalot, or buy a Monty Python DVD, will that count? I really have no idea what is officially British and available in the United States.

Caveat
None of this presumes I agree with Sir Rushdie, or think he should have been knighted. I don't know. I have never read his works, and this includes "The Satanic Verses." My thoughts are based on the reaction, the motivation, the hate, and the violence suggested, and the attempt to manipulate others into tolerating their own intolerance.

None of this presumes either that I believe every Muslim thinks this way, or supports the hate crime mentality against Sir Rushdie, just as I do not believe every prolife person supports those whack jobs who tries to blow up a Planned Parenthood abortion shop, or that every anti-fur person supports PETA's screwball activities.

The Presidential Question
The everlasting question is -- which candidate running for president will know what to do on January 20, 2009, when he or she takes office? This is bigger than all the lesser questions, like gender, personal faith, party affiliation, experience, and what part of the USA did they grow up in. This one is about leadership and wisdom. Do they know what to do, and, are they able to get it done?

No election, in my opinion, matters more than this one. All the usual reasons for picking who to vote for have become inconsequential.

See: Ruhollah Khomeini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hillary Could Ace the Primaries, Lose the General Election

Various polls are claiming Hillary, and Democrats in general, would lose to specific leading Republicans. I've mentioned this issue previously. Though all of these polls are void in so much as it is too early to be naming winners and losers, it indicates a troubling trend.

This challenge amazes me. While it is good to see that voters are seeing through partisan affiliations, they also seem to not know what they think.

No surprise with Rudy G, since, as Republicans go, he's pretty liberal. Same with Romney, for opposite reasons. But why is Hillary so popular, yet unelectable?

In Polls, Clinton Loses to Republicans

EVEN MORE OH-EIGHT: ELECTABILITY

Giuliani Runs As Democrat(ish) Republican, Al Sharpton All But Moons the Mormons

Giuliani's a liberal. A Democrat claims a Mormon has no genuine faith. What's next?

Really. All true. Rudy's just as prochoice as Margaret Sanger. How prochoice is that? I'm exaggerating. Planned Parenthood founder Sanger was so prochoice, she was cool emphasizing the abortion of Catholics, the poor and African Americans, all as part of her view of also being pro-eugenics. Rudy's not there. He's killed off three marriages, but no African Americans.

Al Sharpton, after years of seminary study and biblical scholarship, was licensed and ordained a minister at the age of nine. Now, a minister without a church (think: Jesse Jackson) presumably for its political and legal conveniences, he gets to say he's the Reverend Sharpton. To me, he's just a doofus who wants to make the Democratic Party the religious party. He decided this week to say Mitt Romney, who happens to Mormon, isn't a real Christian. There's an interesting theological question, but not salient to any presidential campaign.

What does Hillary, a nonbeliever and a liberal, do? Worry about Giuliani bigtime if he wins the primary, and avoid Sharpton with a ten-foot pole.

• In Houston, Giuliani Sharpens Liberal Credentials
• Sharpton apologizes for "misconstrued" comments on Mormonism

Do the Rudy Dance - The Giuliani Shuffle

No macarena for Rudy. No cha-cha, no charleston, no tango and no salsa. But he's dancing like everyone's watching. Is he running for president, or just pumping up his own one-trick legacy and selling books?

Is he a liberal? A conservative? Is he more like Hillary or more like George? Maybe he wants to be like Mike.



Mike who? Who knows. We're talking Rudy here. Stay with me.

And, will you vote for him? Rudy, that is, not Mike. Not George either, since he won't be in this race.

I think he is a Democrat plant to steal votes from Hillary. He's prochoice, pro gay rights, light on gun control, and not clear regarding Iraq. He won't be accused of being Joe Family, thanks to hanky panky and divorce. Of course, the cleanest whistle ever to whet the White House was Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, proving morality is not merely a Republican declaration.

Back to Rudy. Do you think he saw that movie about the Joliet (Illinois) Catholic High School football player who wanted to go to Notre Dame? He was named Rudy. Too small, not smart enough to go to and play for the beloved Notre Dame.



This is a different Rudy. This one is taller.

Rudy Giuliani's one trick was a good one. When New York needed someone to stand tall, hopeful, while acknowledging the pain of 9-11, Rudy Giuliani was the man of the hour. He and George Bush (so you don't like him, but he did very well the days after 9-11 and is not known to dance) helped the fair city, the Big Apple -- and the nation -- get their knickers back on and become whole. Not even Geppetto made Pinocchio a real boy. Rudy done good.

If he is going to lead the nation in more than yesterday's disaster, he needs to figure out if he's serious about running, stand for something besides the milque toast middle, and take some chances. If not, we might as well have Oprah Winfrey running for president.

Dr. Phil as Oprah's VP?



Who am I voting for? I'm leaning toward Tony Dungy. If Lovie Smith is up for VP, I'm in. Get them on the ticket, and I'll do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

New York Times: White House Bid? Giuliani Is Still Undeclared

Of course you can dance. What the world needs now is Rudolph Valentino. Fred Astaire would help, but he's no Rudy.

Scorecard: Who is Running for President - Democrats

Democratic Party
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2008

Official candidates who have filed with the FEC for the Democratic Party
Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut
Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina
Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio
Former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa

Candidates who have formed exploratory committees
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware (Unite Our States PAC)
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico

Candidates who have expressed serious interest
Retired General Wesley Clark of Arkansas (WesPAC - Securing America)
Reverend Al Sharpton of New York